Building components for constructing cabinets



Sept- 3, 1966 E. v. ANDERSON ETAL 3,272,582

BUILDING COMPONENTS FOR CQNSTRUCTING CABINETS Filed Dec. 17, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

EDWIN V ANDERSON JOSEPH A. MACK 09M M4 A TTORNE Y5 1*- 1966 E. v.ANDERSON ETAL 3,272,582

BUILDING COMPONENTS FOR GONSIRUCTING CABINETS Filed Dec. 17, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 2 m R mm WA mu JOSEPH A. MACK FIG. 12

A T TORNE Y8 Sept. 13, 1966 E. v. ANDERSON ETAL 8 BUILDING COMPONENTSFOR CONSTRUCTING CABINETS Filed Dec. 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.EDWIN M ANDERSM BY JOSEPH A. MACK A TTORNEY$ Sep 3, 1966 E. v. ANDERSONETAL ,582

BUILDING COMPONENTS FOR CONSTRUCTING CABINETS Filed Dec. 17, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. sow/1v v. ANDERSON BY JOSEPH A. MACK A TTORNEY5 3,272,582 BUILDING CUI/II UNENIS FUR ICGNS'IRIJQTING CABINE'IIs EdwinV. Anderson and .Ioseph A. Mach, Gienview, III,

to Amen Engineering Qoinpany, Qhieago, III,

a corporation of Iilinois Filed I7, 1964, SCI. No. 419,093 14 Claims.(CI. Edi-57) This invention relates to building components forconstructing cabinets, test benches, divider walls, book shelves and thelike which are particularly designed to provide greater versatility andstructural support than those heretofore generally available. Theinvention may be classed as a do it yourself system since units of theabove described type can be easily constructed by the man in the houseand, yet, the building components are of such a design that they may beused to construct units such as instrument cabinets which must be ofsturdy construction. In short, the invention is adaptable to allenvironments.

In US. Patent 3,087,768, assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention, an enclosure constructed using similar building components isdisclosed. The building components of that patent are particularlysuited to the disclosed applications, however, they do not afford theversatility and the structural support as well as the miniaturizationpotential of the subject matter of the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new andimproved building components which are particularly designed forconstructing cabinets, test benches, book shelves and the like. In thisrespect, a related object is to provide new and improved buildingcomponents which are particularly adapted for wall mounting.

It is a further object to provide building components whereby cabinets,test benches, book shelves and the like can be quickly and easilyconstructed, expanded, reduced, altered and matched with similar units,with minimum effort and equipment, or tools.

It is a still further object to provide building components of the abovetype which are attractive, lightweight and sturdy and are thereforeapplicable for use in the office, in the shop, airborne, in the fieldand in marine environments. In connection with the latter, assembly inplace in submarines introduces the limitation of hatch diameter whichthe present invention readily accommodates for in place assembly.

it is a further object to provide building components whereby units ofthe above type may be manufactured from a kit, or assembled frompre-fabricated parts, or assembled by the manufacturer to the exactspecification of the customer.

It is a still further object to provide building components wherebyunits of the above type having a sloping surface may be assembled.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide buildingcomponents whereby enclosures or the like may be assembled and sealedwith sealing compound or gasketed in assembly to atfectuate a splashproof construction.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide buildingcomponents whereby open shelf type units and closed cabinet-like unitsboth may be easily and quickly assembled.

It is a still further object to provide an improved locking clip formaintaining the building components in as sembled condition.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1-5 are views illustrating a desk console, a 70 display cabinet,a shelving arrangement, a bench and a Patented Sept. I3, 1966 icedivider, or privacy screen, respectively, representative of the variousunits which may be constructed, using the building components of thepresent invention;

FIGURES 6-9 are perspective views of various interlocking buildingcomponents, exemplary of the present invention;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a knuckle joint, exemplary of thepresent invention;

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view showing a leg adjusting assembly,adapted for use with the present invention;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view illustrating how the terminal end of astructural member may be closed;

FIGURES 13-15 are top, end and side views, respectively, of the lockingclip of the present invention;

FIGURE 16 is a perspective, partial cut away View illustrating how anedge strut member of the present invention may be fixedly secured withits terminal end abutting a solid surface, such as a wall;

FIGURES 17 and 18 are sectional views illustrating how a panel member issecured to a flange on an edge strut member, by means of a clip fastenerand by a nut and bolt, respectively;

FIGURE 19 is a partial perspective view of a corner of an enclosure orthe like, having a panel secured thereto;

FIGURE 20 is a partial perspective view of a corner of an enclosure orthe like, illustrating how gussets may be used to reinforce theenclosure structure;

FIGURE 21 is a sectional view of the corner construction of FIG. 20,taken along lines 2I-2I;

FIGURE 22. is a perspective view of a control board assembled using thebuilding components of the present invention;

FIGURE 23 is an exploded, partial perspective view illustrating how thesloped surface of the control board of FIG. 22 is formed using thebuilding components of the present invention; and

FIGURE 24 is a partial sectional view illustrating the relationship of alocking plate within a locking plate pocket.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the viewsof the drawings. Also, when reference is made to a particular element orelements having the same reference character, the reference charactersare primed so as to distinguish that particular element or elements.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIGS. 1-5 are shown a few of the wholehost of different structures which can be assembled with the buildingcomponents of the present invention. Generally, these structures aredefined along their edges by means of edge struts II which are securedtogether by means of various types of interlocking members, such as thecorner members I2, the knuckle joints I4 (FIG. 2) a-nd the T-shapedmembers 16 (FIG. 4). Side panels may be secured to the edge struts, in amanner described hereinafter, to form closed units, such as the deskconsole shown in FIG. 1 and the display cabinet shown in FIG. 2, or theymay be assembled in a generally open configuration, with panels formingshelves, as illustrated in FIG. 3, or tops as illustrated in FIG. 4, orwalls as illustrated in FIG. 5. Furthermore, an enclosure which issplash proof may be formed by providing a gasket or sealing compoundbetween flanges on the edge struts and the panels. Similarly, a radiofrequency interference (R.F.I.) shielded enclosure can be assembled bymounting R.F.I. mesh between the flanges and the panels. As will beapparent from the description which fol-lows, once the edge struts arecut to size, a mallet or the like is the only tool required to assemblethese structures. The edge struts Id and the various interlockingmembers are preferably fabricated of aluminum so that a light weight,sturdy structure results.

Referring now to FIG. 6, it may be observed that the T-shaped member 16has three legs 20 extending from a central member 22. Each of the legscomprises a hollow body shaped to the contour of the inside of the edgestruts, and the central member 22 is slightly larger than the crosssection of the legs 20 so as to provide a strut abutment shoulder 24 ofa width approximately the thickness of the walls of the edge struts 10.A flush joint is thereby effected when the edge strut is slipped overthe leg 20 and abutted against the shoulder 24.

Two of the legs 20 are each formed with a locking plate pocket 26 ineach of two adjacent sides, while the other two adjacent sides areplanar surfaces. The third leg, indicated by the numeral 20, has onlyone looking plate pocket 26 formed in one side, while the other threesides are planar surfaces. The significance of this construction will beapparent from the description which follows. In order to firmly securethe edge struts against dislocation from the legs after insertion,locking plates 28 are provided which are proportioned to fit within thelocking plate pockets 26. The locking plates 28 are preferably of asturdy and somewhat resilient material and, as may be best seen in FIGS.13-15, have aflat body portion 30 which substantially corresponds insize with the locking plate pockets 26. The body portion 30 has a pairof flanking offset edges or rails 32 which permit the body portion tofit within the locking plate pocket and in a substantially flushrelationship thereto. The rails 32 give the locking plates substantialsupport, permit the locking plates when positioned within the lockingplate pockets to remain in place even when tilted at a substantialangle, thereby facilitating positioning of the locking plates andassembling of the structures, and further gives quite desirabletolerance advantage to the final positioning. The body portion 30 alsohas a pair of upwardly bent locking tabs 34 centrally positioned betweenthe rails 32; which tabs project a substantial distance above thesurface of the rails so that the locking tabs frictionally engage theinterior surfaces of the edge struts 10 when assembled, in a fixed lockpermitting dislodgernent only with forces of 500 to 1000 lbs.

The above described arrangement provides positive, and true, alignmentbetween the T-shaped member 16 and the edge struts 10. The same is truewith respect to the other interlocking members described hereinafter.This is accomplished since two of the interior surfaces of the edgestruts 10 are forcibly urged by the action of the locking plates whichengage its other two surfaces in a tight, sliding engagement with theflat planar surfaces of the legs 20. The forces exerted by the lockingplates are perpendicular to one another, hence the tolerances betweenthe edge struts 10 and the legs 20 are compensated for, and at least twoof the exterior surfaces of edge struts are therefore forcibly urgedinto positive alignment with the abutment shoulders 24. The T-shapedmember 16 is accordingly arranged, or used, with the locking plates 28positioned toward the interior of the structure so that the alignedsurfaces, or joint, is on the exterior of the structure.

In the case of the leg 20, only the surface or side of the leg oppositethe side having the locking plate pocket formed therein is ofimportance, as far as providing a flush joint with the edge strutslipped on it. This is due to the fact that this is the only surface ofthe T-shaped member 16 which will face toward the exterior of theconstruction and is therefore the only surface which needs to be flush.Accordingly, only the locking plate pocket 26 formed in the one side or,more specifically, the locking plate 28 within that pocket, issuflicient to forcibly urge the one wall of the edge strut 10 inalignment with the shoulder abutment 24 on the exterior side of theT-shaped member 16.

In FIGS. 7-9 are shown corner members 12 which have three, four and fivelegs 20, respectively. The legs of each of these corner members alsocomprise a hollow body shaped to the contour of the inside of the edgestruts. In FIG. 7, it is readily seen that each of the legs 20 of thecorner member 12 has locking plate pockets 26 formed in two adjacentsides of each of the legs, while the other two sides of each of the legsare planar surfaces. A flush joint is therefore provided at each of thetwo planar sides on each of the legs 20, in the manner described above,thus a flush corner is easily assembled, without having to re-align theedge struts, since the alignment is automatically accomplished.

The corner member 12 shown in FIG. 8 is essentially the T-shaped member16 of FIG. 6, with the addition of another leg 20 extendingperpendicularly from the central member 22. The portion of the cornermember of FIG. 8 which corresponds to the T-shaped member 16 isaccordingly formed in the same manner, and the added leg has only onelocking plate pocket 26 formed in the exterior surface of one side 25thereof. When an edge strut 10 is slipped onto that leg, a flush jointis provided. With this corner member, it may be seen that two flushjoints are provided on each of two legs, indicated with the numeral 20',and that one flush joint is provided on each of the other two legs,indicated with the numeral 20". In other words, a flush surface isprovided on both the back-side and the bottom (as shown) of the cornermember 12 of FIG. 8.

The corner member 12 of FIG. 9 is merely the extension of the cornermember of FIG. 8, having still another leg, indicated by the referencenumeral 20', added to the structure. The corresponding portion of thecorner member of FIG. 9 is formed in the same manner as the cornermember of FIG. 8, and the leg 20 has only one locking plate pocket 26formed in the one side thereof, so that, as described above, a flushjoint is provided on the one surface on the back-side thereof (asshown).

It may therefore be noted that in each of the abovedescribed cases, thelocking plate pockets are formed in the two adjacent surfaces of the legwhich will ultimately be on the interior of the structure so that flushexterior surfaces, or joints, are provided. And that, in some cases, forexample with the legs 20" of the corner member of FIG. 8, it is apparentthat only one surface will face exteriorly of the structure, hence thelocking plate pockets are formed in the leg so that the exterior surfacewill have a flush joint.

In FIG. 10 is shown a knuckle joint 14 which comprises two legs 20. Eachleg comprises a hollow body member shaped to the contour of the insideof the edge struts, and have the locking plate pockets 26 formed in eachof three sides thereof for receiving locking plates 28, in the mannerdescribed above. Extending from one end of the body are a pair of tabs38 with the ends thereof having a semi-circular shape that is tangentialto the sides of the body at the extreme ends thereof. One of the tabs isflush with the side of the body and the other tab is inset from theopposite side of the body to thereby provide a shoulder 40. The knucklejoint is completed by bringing the two legs together and aligning thepin holes (not shown) which are present in all of the tabs 38 and thenpivotally securing the one leg to the other by inserting a roll pin 42or similar connector that permits rotational movement of one legrelative to the other. The amount of rotation of the leg is limited bythe location of the shoulder 40.

The shape of the basic edge strut 10 is shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 16. Inthese figures, it may be noted that the edge struts are of squaretubular construction having a central opening 48 which substantiallycorresponds to the cross section of the legs 20. In FIGS. 17-21 areshown other edge strut constructions which have one or two side flanges44 formed thereon for securing side panels to the edge struts, in amanner described more fully hereinafter. Generally, the flanges 44 arespaced so that a d flush joint is provided With the surface of the edgestrut when the panel is secured to the flange.

The edge struts are preferably extruded so that they may be easily andinexpensively fabricated. Also, being extruded, the dimensions areuniform, hence tolerances may be maintained so that flush joints areprovided. The edge struts are also preferably of aluminum so that theyare light in weight and yet sturdy. The edge struts can be supplied inany suitable length and cut to desired size, or they may be pre-cut, asspecified.

Referring now to FIG. 19 which shows the construction of a corner of anenclosure or the like, a corner member 12, such as shown in FIG. 7, isfirst assembled with locking plates 28 in the looking plate pocketsformed in the legs 20 thereof (only the locking plates 28 in one leg 21Bare visible since edge struts are shown slipped onto the other two legsof the corner member). It may be noted that the rails 32, in most cases,hold the locking plates 28 within the locking plate pockets 26 so thatassembly is more easily accomplished. No additional holding means aregenerally required, even though the locking plates may be received in alocking plate pocket on a vertical surface, as illustrated. The lockingplates are positioned Within the locking plate pockets, with the ends ofthe tabs 38 facing the central member 22 of the corner member so thatthe edge struts are more easily slipped on to the legs "2d. Also, inthis position, the tabs 33 have far more frictional engagement with theedge struts when being disassembled, hence the edge struts are lesslikely to become dislodged when assembled. After assembling the cornermember as described, the edge struts are slipped onto the legs 2t bystriking the ends with a mallet or the like.

In the case of a corner, an edge strut of the type having a pair of sideflanges 44 is advantageously used for the corner edge, in conjunctionwith a pair of edge struts of the type having a single side flange. Theflanges are provided with beveled ends 56) so that when mated acontinuous flange is formed. A closure, or side, panel 18 can be securedto the flanges d4 of the edge struts by forming holes in the flanges andthe panels for receiving a fastener, such as the nut and bolt assembly52.

In FIGS. 17 and 18 it may be noted that two different arrangements canbe used to secure the closure panels 18 to the flanges 4-4. In FIG. 17,a spring clip 54' which is adapted to threadably receive a bolt 56 is:frictionally held by the resiliency of the clip, over the boltreceiving hole formed in the flange 44. The bolt 56 is then merelypassed through the corresponding hole in the panel .18 and threaded intothe spring clip The flange is spaced so as to compensate for thethickness of the spring clip 54, so that a fiush surface is provided.This type of arrangement can be used advantageously when access to theinterior is restricted, so that a nut cannot be conveniently used tosecure the panel to the flange. In FIG. 18, a nut and bolt assembly 53is used and, in this case, the bolt is merely passed through thecorresponding holes formed in the flange and the panel and secured withthe nut. In each of the above cases, the panel is preferablycounter-sunk and a counter-sunk bolt is used, so that a flush exteriorsurface is provided.

In FIGS. 20 and 21 is shown still another way in which a corner of anenclosure may be constructed. It may be noted that with the exception ofthe gussets 6d the construction is the same as that of FIG. 19. In thecase of the corner of FIGS. 20 and 21, a triangular-shaped gusset 6t) isabutted against the interior surface of the flanges 44, with its apex inthe corner formed by the mated edge struts 1d. The panels 1 8 and thegussets at are both secured to the flanges by means of nut and boltassemblies 62. This construction is advantageously used when areinforced structure which will Withstand severe shock and vibration isdesired.

In FIG. 22 is shown a structure which may be a control board or thelike, having a sloped surface 64!. Also,

the structure is completely enclosed by means of closure, or sidepanels. The majority of the structure is constructed in the mannerdescribed above, by means of the interlocking members shown in FIGS.6-9, edge struts Ml and panels 18, and the sloped surface 64 isconstructed as shown in FIG. 23 which is an exploded View of one side ofthe structure, with a number of the elements being only partially shown.Also, for the sake of clarity, the locking plates 28 which are fittedinto the locking plate pockets 26 formed in the legs 20 have not beenshown. The sloped surface 64 is constructed by first slipping a cut tosize edge strut 10 having two side flanges 44 over the leg 20 of theuppermost corner member 12 which is of the type shown in FIG. 7. Next,one leg 20 of the knuckle joint 14 is slipped into the opposite end ofthe edge strut. A second edge strut, referenced as 1th, of the sameshape as the first edge strut is next slipped over the other leg 20 ofthe knuckle joint. Next, one leg 20 of a second knuckle joint,referenced as 14', is slipped into the opposite end of the second edgestrut 10. A third edge strut, referenced as 10", is then slipped overthe leg 20 of the corner member 12 which is of the type shown in FIG. 9,and the free leg 20 of the knuckle joint 14' then pivoted and slippedinto the open end of the edge strut 10". By constructing the slopedsurface 64 as described, the legs are easily slipped into the edgestruts and the angular relationship of the legs of the knuckle joints 14and 14 with respect to one another is automatically formed since theknuckle joints are forced to conform to the angle defined by the lengthof the edge struts. The opposite side of the sloped surface 64- isformed in the same manner. The closure panels 18 are then secured to theflanges of the edge struts, in the manner described above, to enclosethe structure.

Legs may be added to the structure, as shown, by cutting edge struts tothe appropriate length corresponding to the height at which it isdesired to have the structure elevated above the floor, or ground, andslipping these edge struts over the legs 2!} of the lower corner members12, as shown. An end closing cap of the type illustrated in FIG. 12,having an enlarged body portion 72 and a smaller stud portion 74 whichconforms to the contour of the hollow interior of the edge struts may besecured to the lower end of the edge struts by slipping the stud portion74 into the end of the edge strut. The end closing cap 70 may be ofnylon or rubber, to prevent rnarring of the floor or to prevent thestructure from being easily slid across the floor.

A leg leveler 76 of the type shown in FIG. 11 can also be used. The legleveler 76 has a strut engaging portion 73 which is substantiallyidentical to the end closing cap '70, having an enlarged body portion 80and a stud portion 82 which is adapted to he slipped into the end of anedge strut 10, as shown. The stnut engaging portion 78 has a threadedaperture (not shown) for receiving one end of a threaded screw 84. Theopposite end of the screw 84 is fixedly secured to an enlarged circularshaped member 86 which may be of nylon, rubber or like materials.Leveling is accomplished by rotating the member 86 to thread the screw84 into or out of the portion 78. A lock nut 83 may be provided on thescrew 84, for locking the assembly in a fixed position, in the wellknown manner.

In FIG. 16 is shown one manner in which the end of an edge strut 16 canbe fixed to a solid surface, such as a Wall 90. A hollow tubularretaining member 92 having the shape of the contour of the interior ofan edge strut 19 is first secured to the Wall 99 by means of a screwwhich may be of the self-locking type. Once secured thereto, the end ofthe edge strut 16 is merely slipped over the member 92. If there is apossibility of the end strut being dislodged, the member 92 can belengthened and formed with locking plate pockets therein for receivinglocking plates 28. The locking plates will frictionally secure the edgestrut to the member 92, in the manner previously described.

A radio frequency interference (R.F.I.) shielded enclosure is easilyconstructed by merely adding R.F.I. mesh adjacent the closure panels 18,by mounting the mesh between the flanges 44 and the panels. A splashproof enclosure can also be constructed by bonding a gasketing materialto the flanges 44 before the panels are secured to them, or by sealingall of the cracks in the enclosure with an appropriate sealing compound.

It will be apparent from the above description that additional,differently shaped interlocking members can be easily provided by addingor removing one or more legs. An obvious example of an additionalinterlocking member is illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein an L-shapedinterlocking member 100 is used to form the two upper end corners of thedivider, or privacy screen. The L-shaped member 100 corresponds to thecorner member 12 of FIG. 7, with its one leg 20 removed. Still anotherobvious modification is to add still another leg 20 to the corner member12 of FIG. 9 so that a six legged corner member is provided. Othermodifications are likewise obvious.

In review it will be apparent from the above description of the edgestruts and the interlocking members that any one of the illustratedstructures, as well as a whole host of differently shaped structures,can be easily constructed with a minimum effort and using only a miterbox to cut the edge struts to size, if they have not been pre-cut tosize before delivery, and a mallet or the like to assemble the edgestruts and the interlocking members. As previously indicated, the edgestruts and the interlocking members are fabricated of aluminum, eitherby extruding or by casting them, hence light weight and sturdystructures can be constructed. The structures can also be disassembledeasily, and additions at a later date are simple and practical. With theaddition of side panels and appropriate gasketing or sealing materialsplash proof structures can be provided, or by the addition of R.F.I.meshing, a shielded enclosure can be provided.

As exemplary of the miniaturization achieved, a successful commercialembodiment employs struts of the following dimensions: /1" X with a Wallthickness of approximately .069" and cut to length, as required. Theflanges are approximately A3" thick and in length, being offset either.069", .135" or .312", to accommodate the various types of fasteners andto provide properly spaced side walls. The typical T-shape member 16(FIG. 6) has the following dimensions: the central member 22 isapproximately %1" x x and the legs 20 are approximately A3" x 4;" x l'having locking plate pockets formed therein which are approximately /8"(tapered to approximately 7 at the bottom) x 75 x .040". The lockingplates measure approximately x 7 overall and have a central body portion30 measuring x 5 The locking tabs 34 are .187" X and are angled upwardlyat an angle of 45 so as to project approximately .052" above the surfaceof the edges or rails 32. The dimensions of the other corner members 12are correspondingly scaled.

In FIG. 24, the relationship between the locking plates 28 and thelocking plates pockets 26 is shown. In viewing this figure, it may benoted that the side walls 27 of the locking plate pockets 26 are taperedinwardly toward their bottom walls, at an angle which substantiallycorresponds to the angle at which the side walls of the locking platesare extended to the flanking offset edges or rails 32. In theillustrated embodiment this angle is approximately 45. The central bodyportion 30 of the locking plates 28 is substantially smaller than thespacing between the tapered side walls 27, so that the locking platesare selfcentering, to a degree, when the edge struts are slipped overthe legs 20. The depth of the locking plate pockets is equal to thethickness of the locking plates, measured from the bottom of the centralbody portion 30 to the underside of the flanking offset edges or rails32, so that the bottom of the central body portion will rest on thebottom of the locking plate pocket with the flanking offset rails 32resting on the face of the leg. It is apparent from the dimensions setforth above, and in viewing FIG. 19, that the length of the lockingplates 28 corresponds to the length of the locking plate pockets so thatthe locking plates are unable to move longitudinally within the lockingplate pockets. This construction, as previously indicated, gives thelocking plates substantial support, permit them to remain in place evenwhen tilted at a substantial angle, thereby facilitating assembly, andfurther gives quite desirable tolerance advantage to the finalpositioning in that the locking plates are transversely selfcentering,to a degree, and are fixed against longitudinal movement.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Building components for constructing frames, enclosures and the likecomprising hollow edge struts all of uniform cross-section, the ends ofeach edge strut providing a female joint; interlocking members having acentral member with a plurality of legs extending perpendicularlytherefrom and disposed at fixed angles to each other so as to form acorner, said legs each defining a male member adapted to be inserted insaid female joints; and having recesses formed therein in each of twoadjacent surfaces of predetermined ones of said legs, said recesses eachhaving squared end walls and inwardly tapered side walls; and lockingplate means disposed within said recesses, said locking plate meanshaving a length corresponding to the length of said recesses and acentral body portion with upstanding locking tabs formed therein and apair of offset rails extending from a pair of tapered side walls, saidrails being adapted to engage the surface of said legs with the centralbody disposed within said recesses, said body portion being smaller inwidth than the width of said recesses so that said locking plate meanstend to center themselves within said recesses, said edge struts eachbeing cut to a specific length and interlocked together by means of saidinterlocking members to form said frames, enclosures and the like.

2. Building components for constructing frames, enclosures and the likecomprising hollow edge struts all of uniform cross-section, the ends ofeach edge strut providing a female joint; interlocking members having acentral member with a plurality of legs extending perpendicularlytherefrom and disposed at fixed angles to each other, said centralmember being larger than the cross-section of said legs so as to providean abutment shoulder which corresponds in height with the thickness of awall of said hollow edge struts, said legs each having a cross-sectionsubstantially corresponding to the contour of said female joint so as tobe disposable therein and recesses formed in each of two adjacentsurfaces of predetermined ones of said legs which extend longitudinallyalong its length, said recesses each having squared end walls andinwardly tapered side walls; and locking plate means for locking saidedge struts to said legs of said interlocking members, and for aligningthe end edge therefore with said abutment shoulder, said locking platemeans having a length corresponding to the length of said recesses and acentral body portion with upstanding locking tabs formed therein and apair of offset rails extending from a pair of tapered side walls, saidrails being adapted to engage the surface of said legs with the centralbody disposed within said recesses, said body portion being smaller inwidth than the width of said recesses so that said locking plate meanstend to center themselves within said recesses.

3. Building components for constructing frames, enclosures and the likecomprising hollow edge struts all of uniform cross-section, the ends ofeach edge strut providing a female point; interlocking members having acentral member with a plurality of legs extending perpendicularlytherefrom and disposed at fixed angles to each other, said centralmember being larger than the crosssection of said legs so as to providean abutment shoulder which corresponds in height with the thickness of awall of said hollow edge struts, said legs each having a crosssectionsubstantially corresponding to the contour of said female joint so as tobe disposable therein, and having recesses formed therein in each of twoadjacent surfaces of predetermined ones of said legs, said recesses eachhaving squared end walls and inwardly tapered side walls; and lockingplate means disposed in each of two adjacent surfaces of predeterminedones of said legs for locking said edge struts to said legs ofinterlocking members, and for aligning the end edge thereof with saidabutment shoulder, said locking plate means having a lengthcorresponding to the length of said recesses and a central body portionwith upstanding locking tabs formed therein and a pair of offset railsextending from a pair of tapered side walls, said rails being adapted toengage the surface of said legs with the central body disposed withinsaid recesses, said body portion being smaller in width than the widthof said recesses so that said locking plate means tend to centerthemselves within said recesses.

4. Building components for constructing frames, enclosures and the like,as claimed in claim 3, further including closure panels, said edgestruts having flange means along the sides thereof whereby said closurepanels may be secured thereto to form one or more closed, or covered,surfaces.

5. Building components for constructing frames, enclosures and the like,as claimed in claim 3, further including pin-joined interlockingmembers, each of which has oppositely disposed legs defining malemembers adapted to be inserted in said female joints, said legs havinglocking plate means disposed within recesses formed in side surfacesthereof for securing edge struts thereto in a locking manner.

6. In combination with building components of the type having legs ofone member inserted with the hollow interior of other members, said legseach having one or more recesses formed therein, locking plate meanscomprising a central body portion having upstanding yieldably rigidlocking tabs formed therein and a pair of offset side rails integrallyformed therewith which are adapted to engage the surface of said legswith said central body portion disposed in said recess.

7. Locking plate means according to claim 6 wherein said locking platemeans are of metallic, substantially rigid materials.

8. A frame comprising a plurality of hollow edge struts all of uniformcross-section, the end of each edge strut providing a female joint; aplurality of interlocking members having a central member with aplurality of legs extending perpendicularly therefrom and disposed atfixed angles to each other so as to form a corner, each of said legsbeing received within one end of one of said edge struts so as to formsaid frame; and a plurality of locking plate means, each received withina recess formed in each of two connected surfaces of predetermined onesof said legs and in one surface of other predetermined ones of said legsfor locking said edge struts to said legs, said locking plate meanshaving a central body portion having upstanding locking tabs formedtherein and a pair of offset rails which are adapted to engage thesurface of said lift legs with the central body portion disposed withinsaid recess formed in said legs.

9. A frame according to claim 8, wherein the edge struts locked topredetermined ones of said legs of said interlocking members arearranged to form legs for said frame, and \wherein there are furtherprovided leveling means comprising a head portion which corresponds insize with the cross section of said edge struts so as to cover the endthereof, said head portion having a strut engaging portion adapted to befrictionally secured within the end of said edge struts, a flat baseportion, and a threaded screw fixedly secured at one end to said baseportion and adjustably threadably received in a threaded aperture insaid head portion at its other end.

10. An enclosure comprising a plurality of hollow edge struts all ofuniform cross-section, the end of each edge strut providing a femalejoint, flanges having apertures formed therein on the sides of said edgestruts; a plurality of substantially U-shaped resilient spring clips,each having an aperture formed in each of its arms, one of which isadapted to threadably receive a threaded bolt, said spring clips beingsecured by the resiliency of their arms over said flanges with theapertures therein aligned with the apertures in said flanges, aplurality of interlocking members having a central member wit-h aplurality of legs extending perpendicularly therefrom and disposed atfixed angles to each other so as to form a corner, each of said legsbeing received within one end of one of said edge struts so as to form aframe for said enclosure, a plurality of locking plate means, eachreceived within a recess formed in each of two adjacent surfaces ofpredetermined ones of said legs and in one surface of otherpredetermined ones of said legs for locking said edge struts to saidlegs, said locking plate means having a central body portion withupstanding locking tabs formed therein and a pair of offset rails whichare adapted to engage the surface of said legs with the central bodyportion disposed within said recess, and a plurality of closure plates,each having corresponding apertures formed therein, said closure platesbeing secured to said flanges by means of threaded bolts which arepassed through said apertures and threadably engaged with said springclips.

11. An enclosure comprising a plurality of hollow edge struts all ofuniform cross-section, the end of each edge strut providing a femalejoint, flanges having apertures formed therein on the sides of said edgestruts; a plurality of interlocking members having a central member witha plurality of legs extending perpendicularly therefrom and disposed atfixed angles to each other so as to form a corner, each of said legsbeing received within one end of one of said edge struts so as to form aframe for said enclosure, a plurality of looking plate means, eachreceived within a recess formed in each of two adjacent surfaces ofpredetermined ones of said legs and in one surface Of otherpredetermined ones of said legs for locking said edge struts to saidlegs, said locking plate means having a central body portion withupstanding locking tabs formed therein and a pair of offset rails whichare adapted to engage the surface of said legs with the central bodyportion disposed within said recess, a plurality of closure plates, eachhaving corresponding apertures formed therein; gusset means havingapertures formed therein, said gusset means and said closure platesbeing secured to opposite sides of said flanges, with a gusset means ineach of said corners, by means of threaded bolts which are passedthrough said apertures.

12. An enclosure according to claim 11, wherein said gusset means aretriangular in shape.

13. An enclosure comprising a plurality of hollow edge struts all ofuniform cross-section, the ends of each strut providing a female joint;flanges having apertures formed therein on the sides of said edgestruts; a plurality of interlocking members having a central member witha plurality of legs extending perpendicularly therefrom and disposed atfixed angles to each other so as to form a corner,

each of said legs being received within one end of one of said edgestruts so as to form a frame for said enclosure, a plurality of lockingplate means, each received within a recess formed in each of twoadjacent surfaces of said legs for locking said edge struts to saidlegs, said locking plate means having a central body portion withupstanding locking tabs formed therein and a pair of offset rails whichare adapted to engage the sunface of said legs with the central bodyportion disposed within said recess; a plurality of closure plates, eachhaving corresponding apertures formed therein, secured to said flangesby means of fastening means passed through said apertures; and radiofrequency interference mesh included between said closure panels andsaid flanges.

14. Building components for constructing frames, enclosures and the likecomprising hollow edge struts all of uniform cross-section, the ends ofeach edge strut providing a female joint; interlocking members having acentral member (with a plurality of legs extending perpendicularlytherefrom and disposed at fiXed angles to each other so as to form acorner, said legs each defining a male member adapted to be inserted insaid female joints; locking plate means disposed within said recessesformed in each of two adjacent surfaces of said legs for locking saidmeans having a central body portion with upstanding locking tabs formedtherein and a pair of offset rails which are adapted to engage thesurface of said legs with the central body portion disposed within saidrecess, said edge struts each being cut to a specific length andinterlocked together by means of said interlocking members to form saidframes, enclosures and the like; and means for securing the end of anedge strut to a wall and the like comprising a box-shaped member havinga cross-sect-ion which substantially corresponds to the cross section ofsaid edge struts so that it may be frictionally engaged therein andhaving an aperture formed therein, and fastener means passed throughsaid aperture for fixedly securing said box-shaped member to said wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,792,100 2/1931Kohler 287-54 2,762,639 9/1956 Molter et a1 28754 X 2,839,320 6/1958Hill 28754 3,087,768 4/ 1963 Anderson et al 312-257 FOREIGN PATENTS253,917 11/ 1948 Switzerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. edge struts to said interlocklngmembers, said locking plate 20 F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner.

6. IN COMBINATION WITH BUILDING COMPONENTS OF THE TYPE HAVING LEGS OFONE MEMBER INSERTED WITH THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF OTHER MEMBERS, SAID LEGSEACH HAVING ONE OR MORE RECESSES FORMED THEREIN, LOCKING PLATE MEANSCOMPRISING A CENTRAL BODY PORTION HAVING UPSTANDING YIELDABLY RIGIDLOCKING TABS FORMED THEREIN AND A PAIR OF OFFSET SIDE RAILS INTEGRALLYFORMED THEREWITH WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE SURFACE OF SAID LEGSWITH SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION DISPOSED IN SAID RECESS.